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 Post subject: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2020 11:23 am • # 1 
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I've built a few rods before, but nothing ultralight. I always just reamed out my cork grip to form a good fit with the rod blank and glued it up, but I noticed that my latest project is different in that I need to built up the blank because it is smaller than the 1/4" bore in the cork. Do I just shim with a few bands of masking tape like it was a reel seat? The gap is probably 1/8" at the front of the grip and a bit less at the back. This is too bad because I like to bore the front of the grip so it is tight to the blank which makes a nice clean look but that is not possible if the cork bore is already too large. How do you folks deal with this?


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2020 4:01 pm • # 2 
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Yeah, that’ll do ‘er just fine. Some wrap string around a blank, but those ideas disassemble way easy for my liking when I've torn 'em down. I’d use narrow bands of tape for a tight fit, leaving a bit of space between them for epoxy-to-blank contact. Tape is actually pretty good purchase/hold with epoxy, but I like a nice glob right on the blank material here and there. Easier to fit the narrow bands as well, usually 1/2” or so with same space inbetween.

Glob it on there good, set the rod upright to cure, let gravity level the epoxy to both the blank and tape edges inside the handle and you’re good to go. Get’s nice, even distribution of adhesive without settling on one side. You’re gonna use more glue than usual here, but the additional weight is pretty minimal overall, especially in the handle section. Don’t have to fill all spaces perfectly full, just enough to grab the important points.

Know what you mean about skinny butts, I had to search a bit to find cork rings with 1/8" holes for some light builds in the past. You know you're a true UL rod builder when such things occur. ;)


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2020 10:23 pm • # 3 
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Thanks, I'll do that. The tip about leaving the rod upright to cure is a good one, I haven't done that in the past and probably most of the reel seats epoxy on my previous rods is on the downward side. They're still stuck pretty good though...

Do you have any leads for the 1/8" cork rings?


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Sun May 31, 2020 4:20 pm • # 4 
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lka wrote:
Do you have any leads for the 1/8" cork rings?


Kinda thinkin’ they don’t exist anymore, mine were from Cabela’s long ago when they were an awesome place for rodbuilding supplies. The 1/8” hole rings were only available in 1.25 diameter rings which is understandable. Used to buy all my rings there in 100’s so it’s been awhile and I’m down to a few.

These days it looks like you can get some “no hole” options in some rings, usually synthetic or amalgam/composite type rings. Really, I don’t even know what Flor grade looks like or costs like these days due to having a large supply for so long. Prepared to be shocked, I know it can’t be as good and cheap as it once was.

Some of the composites and rubberized are pretty nice but they do sand differently (different rates) when next to solid cork in a handle so that’s something to get used to if they are used. I hand shape, no lathe. If you turn on a lathe, the combos are probably easy peasy.


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Mon Jun 01, 2020 9:26 pm • # 5 
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As an update, Jann's Netcraft has 1/8" bore rings. They are cheap, but I expect the cork is of quite low quality as well.

I think I will just buy unbored rings and drill them myself, and then use the premade grip I already have for a later project.


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Fri Jun 12, 2020 10:35 pm • # 6 
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As a further update, I bought some of the 1/8" bore rings from Jann's Netcraft and they're an excellent value. I'm sure you could pay a lot more money for better cork, but I'm also sure you could pay a lot more for *supposedly* better graded cork that really isn't. Don't hesitate to order these if you want smaller bored cork rings.

I briefly considered some of the composite (burl cork, rubberized cork, etc) rings which are nice looking and cheap, but beware they are apparently quite heavy compared to raw cork (2-3x the weight).


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 11:55 pm • # 7 
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I finally ended up building my first cork grip for a 1wt RDP build, using these 1/8" bore cork rings. They worked great. I modeled it after a cigar grip that came on the 0wt RDP I bought from a forum member a few years ago, which I found I really like.

I bought a length of 1/8" brass rod from the hardware store and glued the cork rings up on that, using a homemade clamp (a couple pieces of wood pulled together by threaded rod). Then I found a bearing with inner diameter that matched the rod in the junk drawer and made a "lathe" using the drill press, with the brass rod as a mandrel, and a drill press vice to hold the bearing. Worked great! I added a wrap of hockey tape on the brass rod at the bottom and drove the butt of the grip onto it to add friction to keep the grip from trying to spin on the rod. This picture doesn't do the grip justice, it is smooth as glass. Not bad for $4 worth of cork!
Image


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2020 10:22 pm • # 8 
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lka wrote:
As an update, Jann's Netcraft has 1/8" bore rings. They are cheap, but I expect the cork is of quite low quality as well.


Wow! I completely missed any updates on this thread. This is good news for UL rodbuilders...the 1/8 bore rings do indeed still exist. :applause

Now that I think of it, Jann's may be where I got the original rings. Might have even been before they were Jann's Netcraft and were just Netcraft with the little brown catalog. ****, I'm getting old.

Handle looks sweet, I like the swell. Next skinny build I do will probably have handle style same as what you've done, it gets the diameter for grip, yet shaves weight in the fore & aft. Good design, with short/light rods it's a challenge to avoid getting too butt-heavy on the angler end. Reels only get so light and the featherweight end are slim pickings. My 6.5' 2wt requires a BVK0 and nothing heavier to balance. Shesabitch that way. :lol


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Mon Nov 16, 2020 10:36 pm • # 9 
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Cool!


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 9:38 am • # 10 
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i like your lathe. im gonna have to try that. thanks


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 3:29 pm • # 11 
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I ended up not using this grip because the bore hole where the mandrel was ended up not centered in the grip itself after shaping. It was reasonably close and looked very nice on the rod but I would have noticed the slight offset. I realize now this is because I went right into using sandpaper to shape, I should have used some sort of rigid cutting tool initially to make the cork concentric with the mandrel. Oh well, easy enough to make another!


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 Post subject: Re: cork grip arbor/shim
PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:33 am • # 12 
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Joined: 09/15/20
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Received a custom made 7'6" RDP 0 wt recently. Nice rod. Casts a Sage 0 wt line nicely, and I can get 30' casts without too much effort. Liked it enough to order the shorter 5'8" version as well. Fun rod to fish.


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